Psilopogon haemacephalus
Silhouette: Vijay Cavale (photo), John E. McCormack, Michael G. Harvey, Brant C. Faircloth, Nicholas G. Crawford, Travis C. Glenn, Robb T. Brumfield & T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
The coppersmith barbet (Psilopogon haemacephalus), also called crimson-breasted barbet and coppersmith, is an Asian barbet with crimson forehead and throat, known for its metronomic call that sounds similar to a coppersmith striking metal with a hammer. It is a resident bird in the Indian subcontinent and parts of Southeast Asia. It carves out holes inside a tree to build its nest. It is predominantly frugivorous, but has been observed eating insects, especially winged termites.
The coppersmith barbet is green with a red head, yellow cheeks and a yellow throat. Its underparts are streaked in grey and black. During the nesting season, the wear and tear on the feathers can cause the plumage of the upper back to appear bluish.
It is 15–17 cm (5.9–6.7 in) long and weighs 30–52.6 g (1.06–1.86 oz). Bucco haemacephalus was the scientific name proposed by Philipp Ludwig Statius Müller in 1776 for a barbet from the Philippines. Bucco indicus was proposed by John Latham in 1790 for a streaked barbet from India with a black head and red forehead.
Bucco roseus was proposed by Charles Dumont de Sainte-Croix in 1816. Asian barbets were placed in the genus Megalaima... Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yangon | 🇲🇲 Myanmar | |
| 2 | Ho Chi Minh City | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 3 | Jabalpur | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 4 | Yogyakarta | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 5 | Bangkok | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 6 | Asansol | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 7 | Indore | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 8 | Bhopal | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 9 | Ranchi | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 10 | Davao City | 🇵🇭 Philippines |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bandung Zoo | 🇮🇩 Indonesia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Coppersmith Barbet sighting in Sinharaja Forest Reserve on a given day, based on 18 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 126th most-seen of the 156 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Coppersmith Barbet in Sinharaja Forest Reserve on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 2 and 5 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Coppersmith Barbet sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
32nd of 32
Of the 32 parks where we can rate Coppersmith Barbet sightings, Sinharaja Forest Reserve ranks 32nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Bali Barat National Park (Indonesia, about 70%), Kanha National Park (India, about 60%) and Udawalawe National Park (Sri Lanka, about 60%). All parks ranked.
Same genus: Psilopogon
The closest relatives of the Coppersmith Barbet that you can see in Sinharaja Forest Reserve (genus Psilopogon, Typical Asian Barbets) are Yellow-fronted Barbet (about 70%), Crimson-fronted Barbet (about 30%) and Brown-headed Barbet (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Coppersmith Barbet is recorded against all the birds logged in Sinharaja Forest Reserve (18 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
